


A Penny For Your Thoughts

by Geekgirles



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 18:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20178436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekgirles/pseuds/Geekgirles
Summary: After some nagging from Poppy, Branch finds himself doing the last thing he thought he'd ever do; going to therapy with Dr. Plum Plimsy and try to find a solution to his emotional problems.But is the survivalist really ready to share his feelings? Or will he do everything in his power to keep them bottled up for as long as possible?





	A Penny For Your Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, there! This one-shot is the very first work I've ever written, although I actually wrote it more than a year ago. Sorry for any possible grammar mistakes; English is not my first language. But please! I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

He could only think of one word capable of describing how he felt about what he was going to do. Stupid. This whole idea was stupid.

Branch knew that Poppy meant well when she suggested him to see Dr Plum Plimsy to talk about his issues; after all, the young troll wasn’t only the village’s doctor, but its psychiatrist as well. But, even if the former grump respected her greatly, nothing could change his point of view: Dr Plum would be incapable of aiding a survivalist who had spent twenty years of his life being grey.

As he allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts, he made it to Dr Plum’s pod. The latter being both violet and neon green, much like its owner’s own colouring, to be precise. But what made this place special wasn’t its colours, but the fact that this was actually her home, not her clinic. The young lass must have decided to have her consultations when it came to psychology there, Branch thought.

As soon as he entered it, Dr Plum greeted him with great, welcoming enthusiasm “Branch! I’m glad you could make it! What? Ready to have a productive session?” asked the psychologist.

The survivalist simply rolled his eyes “Dr Plum, I know that this is the regular procedure, but there’s no need to greet me like that. I’m not a child.”

“ You may not be one, but that doesn’t stop you from eating most of the chocolate that I give to my patients as a reward after their check-ups, does it?”

That shut him up.

The purple troll took advantage of his reaction to lead him inside. If Branch was skeptical before, the decorations of the pod didn’t help him. At all. The inside of it was modest, that much was true. But there was indeed a medical vibe in the air. Basically, because it consisted of very simple furniture: a desk full of papers, letters, office material, some strange gadgets of unknown use; a bookshelf whose books were only related to medicine and science; a few lamps here & there; a bed-which made sense since this was, technically, her home; a small kitchen, and…

“ Is that a divan?” Inquired Branch. “Isn’t that a little bit-”

“ Of a cliché?” Ended Plum. “Well, duh. But you just can’t deny that it’s comfortable, and that’s all that matters. Now, make yourself at home so we can get started, Branch.”

Branch hesitantly did as he was told, he lay down in the divan and prepared for the worst. It was supposed to be no more than an hour of therapy, but on the other hand, it was going to be an _hour_ _of therapy_. An hour he would have to spend talking about his life, his feelings, his experiences… The boy cringed at the mere thought. There was _no way _he was gonna let himself be vulnerable so easily.

Meanwhile, ignoring the survivalist’s internal monologue, Dr. Plum sat down as well with a notepad and pen in hand. She also started up a chronometre, to know when the time was up. She was ready to start with the session. After all, Queen Poppy herself had asked her to help him out, she knew that he was having a hard time getting used to being happy again. His… “Original” smile proved that.

“ Branch” She called him. “Are you ready to start?”

Once he was brought back to reality, the blue troll decided that he should try to send their conversation into a more comfortable direction. In other words, he would talk to her about his most neutral days. No drama, no childhood traumas, no insecurities… Just that. “Um… Sure. Go ahead. What should we start with?”

_ And…  _ He failed. Now she could ask him about whatever she wanted to know! Nice going…

Noticing his uneasiness, the doctor decided to take a better approach for someone like Branch. She just needed to calm him down first. “You know, Branch. You don’t have to try so hard. I have several patients, including kids. And we have an entire hour to set the bases of your therapy. It’ll be fine, I promise.”

That last bit of information caught him off guard. “Wait, you attend to kids too? Huh. No wonder, there are some very “fascinating” children. Do you treat this purple-skinned, purple-haired boy?”

“ Oh, you mean Stem? He’s-” But before she could finish, Branch cut her off.

“ He seems to be nice and all, don’t get me wrong. But he’s quite weird sometimes… I could swear I had seen him lick himself.” The former grump realised something wasn’t right when he noticed Plum’s unreadable expression.

“ He’s my nephew...” She answered simply. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice.

_ Oh. OH. _ Branch was about to apologise for his words when Dr Plimsy shut him up. “Please, don’t try to fix it. You’ll only make it worse. Let’s just move on, ok?”

The young adult limited himself to nod. 

“So...” Started Dr. Plum. “Would you like to tell me about your everyday life? You know, something that makes you comfortable to start with”. Branch couldn’t thank her for her suggestion enough.

He thought about his life ever since Poppy had made peace with the bergens. Except for his colours, the fact that he was closer with her and the Snack Pack now and that he was no longer a grump, nothing had really changed. Of course, now he participated in a lot more activities than before (basically, because he just didn’t participate in any, then), and they visited the bergens frequently. But… Nope. There wasn’t much difference, at least not that he wanted to talk about. Then he thought about his bunker, now  _ that  _ had changed. He had replaced his arsenal with another supply room, he had added more supplies besides acorns, he had finally built a hot tub… Yeah, that was what he felt at ease with.

“ Well...” the survivalist started, “I’ve been working on my bunker recently. You know, made some changes. For instance, I replaced my old hammock for an actual bed, it still feels weird, but I’ll get used to it. Oh! And I updated my schedules.”

Dr. Plum limited herself to write down every piece of information that escaped the survivalist’s lips. She was rather impressed he was actually talking. In all honesty, she had assumed they would spend the hour in awkward silence. But here he was, even if this was nowhere near his inner sorrow, this was Branch she was treating at the moment and so, baby steps. If this succeeded, they would get there eventually.

“ So you changed your schedules. Fascinating.” the purple troll commented.

“ Well, yeah. I thought it’d be the best if I wanted to keep up with Poppy and the Snack Pack.” the former grump explained. “I currently follow this one;  _ 6:30 I wake up, 6:45, breakfast, 7:00-7:26, search for potential dangers, 7:30-8:30, zumba; afterwards I take a showe- _ ”

His speech was interrupted by Dr Plimsy’s failed attempt to stop her giggling.

“ S-sorry!” she tried to apologise, even if she was still laughing. “It-it’s just, zumba? That was unexpected.”

And there it was, another troll who couldn’t believe certain changes in his character. Normally, Branch would’ve felt especially uncomfortable about it, but this time it was understandable; Hair, even  _ he  _ couldn’t believe himself when he decided to include said dance as one of his daily chores.

“ It’s okay. I understand your disbelief,  _ but _ as I said before, I have to keep up with the most upbeat group of trolls of the entire village. Where did you think my moves came from? I haven’t danced in 20 years!”

And then, just like that, he suddenly stopped. There was something about that sentence that had made him go back to the shut down state he was in at the beginning of the session. All Plum could hope for was learning just what it was.

So she tried a different approach.

“ So… Are you and Queen Poppy together?” It was a very risky approach, Plum knew this. But she had to try.

Judging by how Branch moved from being dull to nearly having a heart attack, then incapable of controlling the blush on his face and how one of the most gifted trolls in the ways of speaking had suddenly turned into a stuttering mess, she had succeeded at getting his mind off of his worries.

“ W-wha?! I-I… But, how?” he began. “What the frosting, Dr Plum?! Where did you get such a crazy idea?! Me and Poppy?! We-we’re not together!”

_ Denial. My favourite way to start a touchy topic,  _ thought the purple lady in white clothing.

“ Branch, there’s no point in denying it. Love is a wonderful thing! You should consider yourself lucky, my boy, many trolls would love to be in your place.” Reasoned the specialist.

“ But that’s the point!” the blue patient answered “I’m not denying anything! Poppy and I are...close”  _ Was he allowed to say that?  _ “But we’re not together” He finished, a slight hint of disappointment in his voice.

The green-haired psychologist related to him. She had been through the same; fear, embarrassment, self-doubt and an undying love for someone, in other words, conflicted emotions.

“ Branch, believe me, I know what I’m talking about” she insisted, “You think you two are close but not close enough. You want to be there for her but, at the same time, you don’t think you’re actually where you should be; where you’d like to be, in her heart. I know that feeling. Hair! Have I been there...”

Before this revelation Branch was just open-mouthed. Okay, he shouldn’t forget he was talking to another troll, here. A young female whose life probably included a lot more people than his. But, still! It was difficult to picture her doing anything other than healing the citizens of Troll Village…

“ You have?!”  _ Okay, nice going, Branch. Next time, why don’t you just say, “Hey, I can’t believe it! I thought you had even less social life than me!” That’ll make it clear… _

But before he had more time to scold himself, Plum simply answered.

“ You bet!” she laughed “You have no idea how many times I’ve gone through that! Lemme see… It happened when I wanted to ask Darius out, back in my teens; with Aspen… And, oh! You just can’t imagine how nervous I was when I first dated Maddie. Got a date with her after this, actually.”

And again, more surprises, “You’re dating Maddie?!” At this point Branch was sure he needed to work on his subtlety.

But, luckily, his therapist just giggled. She was so used to people flipping over the fact that they were dating…She could understand it though, judging by what meets the eye, they had nothing in common.

“ Yup” was her answer.

Branch just continued there, waiting, not entirely sure if he should urge her to elaborate further or just change the topic, but once again, she came early.

“ People tend to think we can’t be serious about each other, in all fairness, I don’t know about Mad, but I’m crazy about her.” there was a special glimmer in Plum’s eyes. “You see, ever since I took over the clinic and I started tending trolls, they would always ask me about the band-aids in my hair. Even if it did bother me, I got used to it, but with Mad… It was completely different. The first time she came in, asking for a check up, she told me she found them absolutely beautiful. She said I had found the best accessories for my hair, and that they were perfect for me. I was blushing like an idiot for the rest of the day,  _ and,  _ before I knew it, I was crushing on her”.

Branch was… Touched. Yeah, that was the only way to describe what he was feeling. To be honest, he understood perfectly the way Dr Plum must’ve felt when people questioned their relationship. He could tell there were still people who couldn’t understand just why Poppy and the Snack Pack suddenly hung out with him, especially if they were talking about a certain motherhugger. And, honestly, it hurt. It hurt ‘cause he was trying, he really was! Okay, so maybe growing a safety obsessed plant hadn’t been the best idea ever, or ruining a birthday party, a wedding and a funeral (he hadn’t killed the guy!) or criticising a certain pink troll’s leadership… Ugh! He really needed to move on! And he decided he would try his best with this session, so he took a deep breath and prepared himself for what was about to happen…

“ The saddest day of my life was when I was five, and I lost my grandma. It was Trollstice, but because the bergens had already decided which Trolls they would sacrifice for their happiness, I, being the clueless, hopeful kid I was, thought there was nothing else to fear. I believed the nightmare was over. The biggest mistake I have ever made.”

Dr. Plum had no idea of what to do. She had imagined the young survivalist had deep traumas, of course she had, but she had never expected he would actually open up to her in their first session. She didn’t even ask him to share that information with her. And yet, that’s exactly what he was doing.

“ Back then, I was happy, you know? I enjoyed dancing, hugging, partying (even if I wasn’t allowed to go to real parties due to my young age), even glitter. But that soon died the moment I went through puberty.” The last part was said with a scowl on his face.  _ A bad case of glitter acne.  _ The young psychologist figured. “But, what I loved most was singing. Grandma used to said it was like an angel’s, but for me it felt like a curse for the longest time. You see, my singing at-attract-attracted a-a...”

Branch was obviously choking on his own words. Whatever it was that happened back then must have all the answers for his behaviour. But Plum’s job was making sure her patients were fine. That was her top priority.

“ Hey, hey! Branch! It’s ok! You don’t have to push yourself to say it!” She pleaded him.

“ No, I have to do this. Being inside my shell might have protected me of the dangers lurking in the forest, but it has hurt those I care about! Just, just let me do this, please, Dr?”

In the end, the purple troll gave in, allowing her blue companion to continue. But not before a few minutes of rest. That was mandatory.

The sarcastic troll took a deep breath before continuing.

“ My singing attracted the attention of Chef. She tried to grab me, but took my grandma instead. That, was what caused me to lose my colours. The reason why I kept my voice to myself for two decades.  _ I’m _ the reason why she’s gone!”

Plum was appalled by this confession. “But, Branch! It wasn’t your fault! You were just a kid! You said it yourself, Trollstice was supposed to be over. You could’ve never known...”

“ But it was my fault!” He insisted. “If I had only listened to her, then, she wouldn’t have been taken by that, that...”

“ Heartless, psychotic bitch?”

“ ...Yes. How could you…? How did you..? Are you even allowed to cuss?!” The answer had left him speechless, he never thought trolls could actually cuss. He was convinced he was the only one.

“ Oh, Branch.” The female laughed. “Of course I can, we all can. We just keep our mouths shut in case there are children around. But you’re no kid, boy. Actually, your mouth can be dirtier than half of the village’s sometimes”.

“ Guilty.”

“ But I can always say babyproof curses if you prefer.”

“ Yes, please.” Anyway, if he wanted to get anywhere with this today, he had to continue. “Even if you say it wasn’t my fault, that doesn’t change the fact that I lost her. No matter what you say now, none of it is going to change how I felt.”

“ And how did you feel, Branch?” Dr. Plimsy interrupted. That’s what she was interested in the most; his feelings.

Another deep breath.

“ I felt… Alone, guilty, sad. Terribly sad. My grandma, the troll I loved most, was gone! And she was never coming back… I can still hear her screams, especially in my nightmares. The loneliness was suffocating, no one to laugh with, no one whose hugs could make me half as happy as hers, no more gentle eyes which would look at me as if I were the most important person in someone’s life. No comfort, no happiness, no hope. Just, sadness...” The blue troll finished, his eyes watering.

“ But what about the other trolls?” She said while handing him a tissue. “We’re not exactly known for being insensitive creatures, Branch.”

He tensed up.

“ Well...” The survivalist started. “This is where things get awkward and very personal...”

“ More personal than sharing your biggest trauma? The reason behind all those years of being an outcast? Really?” Plimsy inquired, matter-of-factly.

“ There’s a huge chance this might end with you judging me, though.” He still tried to convince her.

To no avail, actually.

“ Branch, c’mon! My job literally consists of not judging trolls. Actually, frost this cupcake! I’m doing this for free, man! I already know what I’m doing.”

Branch sat back in the divan before the doctor’s outburst. He still had to get used to hearing her swear too. But, she was right. Besides, looking at the clock he realised there was still quite some time to fill before he could go home.

“ Alright” He finally gave up. “The reason why I kept myself away from the other trolls was conflicted feelings. On the one strand, I didn’t want to lose any of you too. Even if I didn’t always show it, you guys are still my people, and I care about the village’s safety. And, on the other…”  _ Now this is where it gets weird. “ _ The thing is, I used to harbour some resentment towards the village. I was always wondering how they could be so careless, so happy-go-lucky, so happy… Many of them had lost dear ones, just like me. Even so, none of them acted like that was the case. I guess I envied that. For a very long time the happiest, supportive, closest to one another place on the planet felt completely cold and fake. I hated that. I insist, in the bottom, my positive feelings for our world were the strongest ones, but the others were still there, you know...”

Branch wasn’t very sure this whole thing would help him, after all, instead of better he was starting to feel dead inside. Although he had discovered that was a great mood to write down poetry, to be honest.  _ Guess there’s nothing like a broken heart to bleed ink. _

His thoughts, however, were interrupted by another of Plimsy’s questions.

“ Was there really no one there for you?”

Of course there was. He could never get over the warm feeling in his heart whenever she showed him he meant something to at least someone. The way a single minute listening to her voice could enrapture him completely. How a single smile from her could light up his entire existence, even if he desperately tried to hide it. In a way, he could say she had become his light. A light he couldn’t live without.

“ There was… Someone”. He tried to keep it simple. But the professional just wouldn’t let him. He couldn’t tell if it was because that was her job or because she actually enjoyed gossip.

“ Was it an enthusiastic, happy pink princess?” The lavender female was obviously pushing his bottoms.

“ Maybe, I’m colour-blind.” He lied. He was rather curious about how this conversation would end.

“ Loud and, admittedly, careless, from time to time?” She tried again.

“ Most trolls are like that, so… It doesn’t ring a bell, sorry.”

Even if the atmosphere was heating up from their little “competition”, Branch would not surrender. He had spoken a lot already, and those feelings were only shared with Gary, his journal and as a result, Cloud Guy. But the further the walking, condensed steam kept from him, the better.

Although he did not expect the following question.

“ Does this troll have as many and beautiful glitter freckles as the stars in the universe?” She smirked, knowing he got him right were she wanted.

“ How do you know that?!” The young adult panicked.

“ Oh, Branch. You’re very good at keeping things safe, but you surprisingly forgot to keep your secret stash of invitations and romantic poetry hidden in a better place. I mean, sorry, but seriously? A curtain?” The female said with an incredulous look on her face.

Branch was a stuttering mess after this. Chance that Dr. Plimsy took to speak with him and put his mind at ease.

“ Don’t worry, Branch. Only King Peppy and I found them. Who, by the way, is very pleased to have you as son-in-law.”

“ What?! Peppy knows?! I won’t be able to look at him straight in the eyes anymore… Well, at least it’s just the two of you.”

“ Mmm, Branch, I think you’re forgetting that you openly declared your feelings for Poppy inside the pot. Remember?” She had seen a lot in her career, but someone panicking the same way as him? This was a first…

Now he was at the verge of fainting.  _ Come on, Branch, you’ve fought spiders, dealt with bergens, built a bunker by yourself. This should be nothing! _

Truth must be told, there was a huge difference between what his mind said and how his body reacted.

His biggest concern, though, was the pink haired princess. It’s not like he thought Poppy was completely oblivious to his feelings. Technically, singing a romantic duet with someone usually had such effect. Especially in their culture. But… there were various insecurities inside. For starters, she could have not healed from that motherhugger, hair-puller, son of a leprous tarantapuff… To put it simple or he would never finish: Creek.

“ They had been friends for a very long time, there were feelings involved...” He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.

“ You’re speaking about Creek, aren’t you?” Dr. Plimsy deduced.

He exhale tiredly. “Is it that obvious?”

“ Branch, we all knew you didn’t like Creek. It was even more obvious that Poppy was close to him. But you can’t let that get to you, you gotta be there for her if she feels down and demonstrate just how much she means to you. Poppy is perfectly aware of the fact that Creek did whatever left his hair. You needn’t worry about it. Just take action.”

“ But it’s not just that.” The teal male admitted. “Poppy is hope. She’s happiness. She’s a light shining bright in the night sky. And I’m just… not. I’m not like the other trolls."

It was unlike him to be so down. Of course, he was depressed when he was grey, but always managed to cover it. But now, now he was just vulnerable, fearful, even. He was honest. With no sarcasm or snarky comments to hide behind. Right now Branch was just being Branch. A beautiful sight to behold indeed.

“ Branch, listen to me. It’s time to give you your self-esteem dose.”

The moment she had his full attention, she began.

“ You wanna know what I see when I look at you? I see someone a lot braver than what he thinks he is. Someone who was willing to risk everything he had ever worked for to achieve a greater good. A kind, shy and slightly socially awkward guy who just needed a little push in the right direction to shine brighter than the stars above. A troll who wasn’t afraid, for once, to pour out his heart to make things right and to help his loved ones. So, basically, I see a shimmering blue diamond with a heart of gold. And I just know Poppy sees it too. So you have nothing to fear, my boy, you’ll get the girl.”

To say Branch was touched was an understatement. He had no idea just how much he needed to hear such thoughtful, kind words. There was no way he could express his gratitude to Dr. Plum Plimsy. Or was there?

As the two of them sat there in comfortable silence, the alarm rung. Time was over. They were done and he was free to never go back. But…

As the violet psychologist started to tidy up her pod, her actions were interrupted by Branch’s voice at the door.

“ So… Same time next week?”

A warm, knowing smile formed on Plum’s face. She had done it.

“ Same time next week.”


End file.
